10 Years Ago 1997

A Marysville man was sentenced to nine years in prison for manslaughter after a judge ruled his confession was not legally obtained. Robert L. Power, 45, of Marysville, was scheduled to go to trail charged with first-degree felony murder for the July 1997 shooting of Fred Pelkey, a 95-year-old retired railroad worker. Instead, Power and the Snohomish County Prosecutors Office reached an agreement and Power pled guilty to the lesser charge of first-degree manslaughter. He was sentenced to nine years, an exceptional sentence, said Deputy Prosecuting Attorney Lisa Paul. The standard for manslaughter is between three and four years. Until last week, the case was going to trial until a judge ruled that the statements Power made to Marysville police were obtained improperly. While being questioned, Pelkey asked for an attorney and the police did not immediately stop questioning him, said Acting Police Chief Walt McKinney. Without his confession, we didnt have a lot more to go on, McKinney said. Everything was circumstantial. Paul said the case was weakened without the confession. Pelkey was found shot to death in July by friends. He lived alone with his dog in a small house across from Dunn Lumber on Grove Street in Marysville. He was a retired railroad worker and tugboat operator. His wife died several years ago, and he had no other known family. Jerry Roach, Pelkeys friend for 25 years and manager of Dunn Lumber, said he and other employees were furious about Powers sentence. We think its pretty sad, Roach said, All the guys at work just cant believe somebody would get only nine years. Roach was expecting the case to go to trail and had delayed tearing down Pelkeys house, which is owned by Dunn Lumber. Owners had allowed Pelkey to live there for free after he sold the property to the lumber company. Last week, the prosecutor told Roach to hold the house until the trail. Then he received a massage Friday to go ahead with demolition plans. Roach said he and friends of Pelkey think the case was settled with a short sentence because Pelkey was old and didnt have any family pursuing the case. Roach made a few calls to the police and the prosecutors office but hadnt receive any calls back, he said. If the police screwed up, thats fine, they should have told us [then] and maybe we would understand, he said.

25 Years Ago 1982

Husband Steve Collins congratulated his wife Bonnie after the Marysville athlete won six gold medals at the Northwest Regional Wheelchair Games at the University of Washington. Bonnie didnt know how lucky she was as she and Steve scrambled to find replacement wheels for her chair prior to the competition. Then one of the tires went flat after the final race. Fellow Marysville athlete Ken Johnson also had a pretty good weekend, winning three gold medals and just missing another when he was disqualified for a lane violation after winning another. Both qualified for the nationals in June 1982.
Kelly Klein made a Marysville residents trust in his fellow man a little bit stronger. Klein, a 16-year-old newspaper carrier from Marysville, was delivering papers one day last week and discovered some loose money on the roadway. Investigating a little further, Klein found a wallet with five $100 bills in it. The youth made contact with the Snohomish County Sheriffs Department North Precinct and deputies were able to return the wallet and money to its owner. Klein will receive a certificate of thanks from the Sheriffs Department for his prompt action.


50 Years Ago 1957

Larry Gibson was elected to serve as president of the Marysville Lions Club for the coming year. Gibson, principal of the high school, has been active in the Lions for a number of years and served as vice president for the past two years. Others elected to office are Don James, first vice president; Roy Hovik, second vice president; Bill Litehiser, third vice president; Art Duborko, secretary-treasurer; John McInnis, Lion tamer; and R. C. Bates, tail-twister. Duborko will be serving his third consecutive term as secretary-treasurer. Stanley Willard and Carroll Barlow were elected to one-year terms on the executive board and Ken Smith and Robert Swanson were elected to two-year terms. Members were treated to a most interesting program presented by Mr. Pearson of Boeing Aircraft Co. at the May 2, 1957 meeting. At the invitation of Rick Bartlett, Pearson showed a color film depicting the preparation and test flight of the Boeing 707 prototype jet tanker and transport. He also told members of the characteristics of the 707 and of the production schedule of the Boeing Co. Ray Schneider announced the annual installation dinner will be held at Canyon Creek lodge.
Don Funk of Marysville Feed and Seed has been elected President of Marysville Credit Association. Serving with him are Palmer Klabo, Moutlons Grocery, vice-president; and Margaret Cockburn, Marysville Nursery, secretary-treasurer. Outgoing officers were Jack Bartlett, Bartletts Hardware, president; Fred Lovejoy, Bowen-Ingram vice-president; and Mrs. Dorothy Howell, secretary-treasurer.
Tentative target date for putting into operation the Richfield Oil refinery at Kayak Point is 1965, according to an announcement made in Seattle Tuesday by Charles S. Jones, Richfield president. In response to questions as to what the companys plans are for the 1000-acre site recently purchased, Jones is reported to have explained, Our sales are increasing at the rate of 5 percent a year. When they reach 35,000 barrels a day, it will be feasible to build a 50,000 barrel plant. He also said present sales in the northwest are now 25,000 barrels a day. Jones visited the Kayak Point site Tuesday for the first time, and said it has plenty of room for expansion.
Art Rowe hurt in jet crash in Iceland. A Marysville flier, 1st Lt. Arthur Rowe, is in critical condition in Philadelphia Naval hospital after a plane crash in Iceland last week. Rowes aircraft crashed on landing at the Iceland base, according to word received by his family here. Trouble had developed 400 miles at sea where the planes instruments failed and one motor went out. Return to base was made at low altitude through stormy weather. The landing approach, without instruments, and at too great a speed, resulted in disaster; the plane bursting into flame on landing. The radar man with Rowe was thrown clear and only slightly burned. Rowe, trapped in the flaming craft, used the ejection seat mechanism to escape. He suffered second and third degree burns on a third of his body surface, it is reported. The parents, Mr. and Mrs. Rowe, flew to Philadelphia where Mrs. Rowe will remain for about two weeks. The father returned home Tuesday night. Latest reports say Art is progressing nicely toward recovery.
Marysville is scheduled for a new post office, according to word received by Postmaster Leon L. Stock from S.G. Schwartz, Regional Director, Post Office Department, Portland. An assignable land option has been accepted from Mrs. Eva Moore of Marysville, located on the north side of Third Avenue, between State and Columbia streets, which will be the site of the new, modern facility. Bids for construction of the new quarters will be solicited in the near future, calling for an increase of inside floor space in the amount of 2,400-square-feet. Present floor space is 1,330-square-feet and is considered inadequate for this growing first class office, Mr. Schwartz concluded. When the Marysville Post Office first occupied its present building in 1940, receipts were $8,000 a year. In 1956, the total receipts were $41,000. Previous to 1940, the post office was near Second and State, north of where Kuhnles is now.